San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-05
CHAPTER ".


nnce, thoroughly satisfied with one an
other, and their satisfaction was very
commonly, if not quite universally, shared
by their friends and relatives. Old Tur-
ner rubbed his plump white hands, and
declared that the wish of his heart was
now fulfilled; Lord Staincs was so de-
lighted that he could not rest until he had
walked over to the rectOry and announced
his delight; and my mother, though
secretly little disappointed for Jim was
q great favorite of hers did not hesitate
to aver that all was for the best 1t is
true that she would have said and thought
the self same thing if she had just heard
me sentenced TO be hanged by the neck
until | was dead-suCh being her simple
creed. Taking her stand upon certain
passages of Scripture, she boldly asserted
that it was not for us TO judge whether
this or that event would be productive of
ultimate good or not, and, in short,
adopted without reservation the doctrine
that whatever is is right.
To fall in with my dear mothers views
in this respect has never been possible to
me, and amid the general chorus of ap-
prevail / found some comfort in listening
to dissenting voice which harmOnized
with my own. 1t was a very quiet little
voice, but il was Il sweet one, and was
seldom used to utter disparaging remarks
about anybody. ''Since you ask me"
Lady Mildred said, II am not glad, / am
sorry 1t seems TO me that IIilda is not
good enough for Mr.. Leigh"
That | observed, sis beyond all ques-
ton"
eyes; and don't understand her chang
ing her mind so quickly. OF course it
was impossible that Bracknell should
marry her; but if it had been possible
they might have got on together well
enough, perhaps. | am fOnder of Brack
nell than Of anybody else in the world,
and don't know that she is exactly good
enough for him either But he is differ
ent from Mr.. Leigh. l mean that if he
had found out afterward that Hilda was
not quite-quitc what he had fancied her,
/ don't think he would have taken it so
much to heart
These were precisely my sentiments;
but as no one had the remOtest intention
of consulting either me or Lady Mildred,
we could not do better than keep them to
ourselves, and we kept them to ourselves
accordingly
OF Brackncll | heard nothing, nor,
suppose, did Jim receive congratulations
from that quarter, although | did not like
to ask him the question. No doubt he
had forgiven his old friend, as he could
well afford to do, being more or less in
the position of COnquercr. His marriage
was appointed to take place IN the ensu-
ms u ~
Bracknell had been brought within an
ace of making an egregiOus ass of him.
self: for. as everybody knew, Mr.. Turner
had no more control over his dauphter
than he had over the emnress of China.
Still. those who are invested with nomi-
nal authority shOuld eypect TO he held re-
sponsibIe when disasters occur, and a sad
nitv il is that this excellent rule is not
moro freouentIy made to aDrly to certain
high functiOnarips whom one might name.
Lord Staines. having got hold of Hilda's
Ostensible superior. led the unbappv man
into his study and then and there gave
him n tremendous wiCoing I made a
point of calling upOn the Rev. Simeon in
the course of the afternoon, and found
him quite shattered. Never in his life be-
fore, he said piteously, had such language
been used to him, and although it was his
duty as a Christian to forgive Lord
Staines' words, he feared that it would be
long before he would be able to forget him.
AS for Bracknell, he was packed off by
the first train with flea in his ear, and,
dare say, a check in his pocket. He
wrote letter to Hilda, in which, / under
stand he represented himself to be broken
hearted, but powerless. His father
wouldn't hear of the engagement, and,
since he was entirely dependent upon his
father, there was no more to be said.
Upon reflection, | feel quite sure that he
must have received check. Lord Staines
possessed a fine old fashioned temper, but
he wOrshiped his son, whose will was a
great deal stronger than his own, and if
Bracknell had really been determined
upon marrying the cook, ! doubt not but
that he would have snapped his hnger IN
his father lace and married her such
may not probably have been also the opin-
ion OF the talr Hlida, whose wrath at md
ing herself thus coolly lett in the lurch
was, as | gathered from her father, very
great.
Her disappointment might have been
easier to bear, and the whole affair might
have blown over quietly, if only Lord
Staines had had the sense to hold his
tongue about it. But l suppose he was
flushed with victory and couldn't hold his
tongue First he told Lady Mildred,
which was perhaps unavoidable later in
the day, by which time he had fully re-
covered his Good humor he marched down